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By Sarah Raven
Welcome to grow, cook, eat, arrange, the weekly podcast from gardener, writer, teacher,and cook, Sarah Raven. Over the last two decades, Sarah has led the way by introducing a new kind of productiv
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The podcast currently has 358 episodes available.
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We’re stepping once more into Tom Stimpson’s tiny town garden to see how he coaxes months of colour from the smallest of spaces. In this episode, Tom shares the mini bulbs that have truly earned their keep in pots and window boxes – from long-flowering iris and species tulips to cheerful muscari and dwarf narcissus. Together we explore simple planting “recipes”, clever table‑top displays, and a low‑maintenance watering approach that lets the weather do most of the work. In this episode, discover:How Tom turns a tiny town garden into months of spring colour using mini bulbs in pots, tabletops and window boxesWhich small bulbs really earn their keep in containers – from Ipheion ‘Alberto Castillo’ and ‘Wisley Blue’ to favourite species tulips and dwarf narcissusSimple ways to plan a small-space bulb display, including easy paper layouts and colour planningA low-maintenance watering approach for bulbs in pots that relies on deep, occasional soaking rather than constant fussingPractical tricks for protecting bulbs from squirrels and how to give narcissi, muscari and Iris reticulata a second life in borders.Products mentioned: Ipheion ‘Alberto Castillo’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/ipheion-alberto-castillo Tulipa sylvestris: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulipa-sylvestris Anemone blanda ‘Blue Shades’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/anemone-blanda-blue-shades Muscari ‘Blue Magic’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/muscari-blue-magic Muscari ‘Valerie Finnis’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/muscari-armeniacum-valerie-finnis Narcissus ‘Minnow’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-minnow Narcissus ‘Sailboat’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-sailboat Scilla / Squills (Siberian Squill): https://www.sarahraven.com/products/scilla-siberica See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

If grey squirrels have ever stripped your pots overnight or raided a carefully planted bulb lasagne, there are ways to protect your perfectly composed pots. Sarah is joined by Josie Lewis this week to share what’s actually worked at Perch Hill after years of trials – from cleverly laid thorny rose prunings to beautiful pot toppers that protect bulbs and earn their keep. In this episode, discover:How Sarah and Josie protect freshly planted bulbs from grey squirrels and other pests without relying on ugly or ineffective solutionsExactly how to use thorny stems as a simple, physical barrier over pots through autumn and winterWhich ornamental plants make the best pot toppers over bulbs, and where each works bestHow to use edible pot toppers such as hardy lettuces and salad leaves to both shield bulbs and provide generous harvests before tulips emergeProducts mentioned: Ammi visnaga: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/ammi-visnaga Ammi majus: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/ammi-majus Heuchera ‘Black Taffeta’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/heuchera-black-taffeta Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/erysimum-bowless-mauve Wallflower ‘Sugar Rush Purple’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/wallflower-sugar-rush-purple-bicolour-f1 Cerinthe (Honeywort): https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cerinthe-major-purpurascens Cerinthe 'Kiwi Blue': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cerinthe-major-kiwi-blue Mizuna ‘Red Knight’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/mizuna-red-knight-f1 Salad Rocket: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salad-rocket-serrata ‘Red Frills’ Mustard: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/mustard-red-frills Sea Holly (Eryngium): https://www.sarahraven.com/products/eryngium-x-zabelii-big-blue See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

If you love the idea of beautiful pots that don’t need replanting every five minutes, perennials in a container can be the perfect solution, and just as stunning as a bed or a border. Tom Stimpson returns to discuss trusted “banker” perennials for containers – from long-flowering hellebores and acers underplanted with geraniums, to hydrangeas, heucheras and beloved agapanthus. You’ll hear exactly which combinations have stood the test of time in Tom’s garden as well as at Perch Hill, and how to get colour from winter through to late autumn. In this episode, discover:How to design perennial pots that give you colour and structure from winter through to late autumn, without constant replantingWhich plants Sarah and Tom rely on most strongly for containers Practical planting combinations for small gardens, such as Pittosporum with hellebores and scabious, or an acer underplanted with Geranium ‘Rozanne’A realistic regime for watering, feeding and deadheading perennial pots so they stay sturdy rather than sappyProducts mentioned: Helleborus niger: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-niger Helleborus orientalis: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-orientalis-pretty-ellen-spotted Helleborus ‘Ice n’ Roses Red’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-x-glandorfensis-ice-n-roses-red Pittosporum ‘Bannow Bay’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/pittosporum-tenuifolium-bannow-bay Scabiosa atropurpurea ‘Black Cat’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/scabiosa-atropurpurea-black-cat Scabiosa ‘Kudo Pink’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/scabiosa-incisa-kudo-pink Geranium ‘Rozanne’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/geranium-rozanne Geranium ‘Dreamland’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/geranium-dreamland Hydrangea ‘Madame Emile Mouillère’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-macrophylla-madame-emile-mouillere Hydrangea ‘Little Lime’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-paniculata-little-lime Hydrangea ‘Limelight’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-paniculata-limelight Hydrangea ‘Little Fresco’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-paniculata-little-fresco Heuchera ‘Black Taffeta’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/heuchera-black-taffeta Gaura ‘The Bride’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/gaura-lindheimeri-the-bride Gaura ‘Flamingo’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/gaura-collection-for-pots Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-nemorosa-caradonna Salvia ‘Peach Melba’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-peach-melba Verbena rigida: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/verbena-rigida Linaria ‘Peachy’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/linaria-x-purpurea-peachy Agapanthus ‘Midnight Blue’ / ‘Navy Blue’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/agapanthus-navy-blue See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Every garden space deserves a chance to be transformed into a beautiful space which breathes, rather than constricts, and Pollyanna Wilkinson is a master of such designs. Polly joins Sarah this week to share her no‑nonsense methods for transforming everything from boxy new‑build plots to tired, inherited gardens into layered, soulful spaces. In this episode, discover:How to think like a garden designer, surveying, shaping and structuring spaces before you plantPractical ways to transform new‑build and small gardens, or refresh an existing gardenGuidance on choosing materials and finishes that feel good underfoot, are easy to maintain, and will age beautifully over time.How to use colour and planting layers to create a soulful, wildlife‑friendly garden with interest through the seasonsProducts mentioned: Amelanchier lamarckii: sarahraven.com/products/amelanchier-lamarckii Lavender ‘Munstead’: sarahraven.com/products/lavender-munstead Nepeta x faassenii 'Kit Kat': sarahraven.com/products/nepeta-x-faassenii-kit-kat See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Stepping out into the garden with a sketchbook in hand is a novel, powerful practice which, given time, can transform the way we look at plants we think that we know like the back of our hand. In this week’s podcast episode, Sarah is joined by artist and gardener Matthew Rice to explore how drawing becomes a kind of “recorded looking” that deepens our relationship with flowers and gardens - from choosing the right subjects and materials to capturing the feeling of a border in full swing. In this episode, discover:How drawing functions as “recorded looking”, helping deepen your relationship with your gardenWhich flowers and garden plants are most forgiving to draw as a beginner, and practical ways to get started with garden drawingWhere Matthew Rice finds inspiration, from historic watercolourists to everyday details in his own greenhouse and gardenProducts mentioned: Snakeshead Fritillaries: sarahraven.com/products/fritillaria-meleagris Iris reticulata: sarahraven.com/products/iris-reticulata-blue-note Courgettes: sarahraven.com/products/courgette-soleil-f1 Mint: sarahraven.com/products/mint-moroccan Matthew Rice: https://www.instagram.com/matthewricewatercolours/ See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest
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